My Road So Far
My name is Cheanice and my current role is a customer success manager,
So I went to school at MRU for business, so, where I majored in marketing and I minored in something called nonprofit and social innovation.
So, that was something while I was like
at MRU, that was like super interesting to me was like the whole like social innovation side. And like, what does that mean? And like, it was really kind of about like organizations or businesses out there and making like a social impact. So with that one, while I was a student, I started kind of looking at like different, Like companies in Calgary and Alberta, that really kind of focused around like making a social impact or having like user faced kind of technology type of initiatives in tech.
So, with that one. I graduated MRU was kind of about 10 months to about a year later and actually found my way to kudos. So over at kudos, I joined, the customer success team. So, kudos was really kind of like a small and mighty team of about 15 people or so when I joined, and with that one, I like within my customer success, like I really helped kind of like build it almost from the ground up. So when I was there for my first day, there was only myself and one other person. So I'm kind of had to like really figure out, like, what does customer success mean? How do we engage with our customers? How do we define this at kudos in general? So, so really with that one, I held kind of four or five different roles at kudos and the five and a half years that I was there.
So anything kind of from like providing customer support to doing the implementations of the software with B2B companies, to eventually being a team lead, then kind of going into account management. So, did a lot kind of really saw the organization grow and scale. And I was really in the right place at the right time.
So I grew as the organization was growing. So, pretty cool as to kind of what, what happened in the last five years of my life. And then just kind of this past October, I decided to kind of further my own like professional development and take kind of spread my wings and fly per se. And I took a role with a people operations software company.
so still in software and tech in general, but kind of more kind of working like a work from home type of a job now and everything, but, in that role is kind of where I'm at a customer success manager. So, really helping organizations see the value of the solution they purchased. Furthering their goals and initiatives, when it comes to kind of employee onboarding, offboarding everything in the realm of, of people operations
CG: What is the day in the life of customer success?
Yeah. Yeah. So my current role, it's kind of like a goal I have for myself too, is to always like further like my strategic perspective that I take into conversation. So, right now it's B2B, it's kind of dealing with or working with kind of people that are people operations leaders. They're sometimes the directors or sometimes marketing, but there are so many different like industries around the world.
So it can be like a fitness gym. It could be an eyeglass store. It can be like a big tech company. There's so many different industries. In my specific day. it's kind of around like having those conversations, setting up like the meeting meeting with, with them. I do a lot of like customer success planning. So kind of meeting with the customer, figuring out, like, what are your goals?
How are you measuring success? And always coming back to that, What are you looking to achieve? Like, and that always changes to our organization. So it's like furthering that conversation. but also be like, okay, what does the different stakeholders, what are they looking for? Like, cause of course, like, as like a customer success manager or looking to like prevent churn, like reduce risk where like we're looking to build out like long lasting relationship with the customer.
CG: How do you approach professional development?
Yeah, I think there's a few sides to it. When I look at like that question, I think it really kind of, the first part of it is like, you have to like, do the work. Like you have to like get in, you have to ask the questions, understand things, like figure out, like, if things aren't documented, like is there opportunity to document it?
Is there opportunity to like teach others? And kind of develop it kind of from, from like doing, hands-on getting the experience type of thing to like level up your career. Cause you can't know what you don't know. the next part of it is really kind of like leaning on your network. Like even for me, like I was, I've kind of transitioned in like internally with roles externally with roles.
It's kind of like, it's figure like who, who is in your network. Like who are those people that you can lean on, that you can go for coffee with that are going to give you like their unbiased opinion and be like, Hey, we're here to support you in this journey. and like me, like, and just spending time to like, identify who those people are and like, leveraging that.
the other part of it, I think it was like just like seeking opportunities. So seeking opportunities, looking for resources. So if you are interested in like a certain area of tech or there's a role that like jumps out to you, there are so many like great resources out there. Like when, if it comes to like LinkedIn, if it comes to like different tech career fairs.
There's like so many like companies in CS specifically, and client success is another one where they have like free webinars. They have, blog articles, and most of the stuff is like little to no cost. And like, you can just join it. So like, for me, like if I was like interested in like CS leadership and like seeing, okay, what would it take to go into see us leadership?
And then just like watching those webinars subscribing to things and like taking the time to do it. Staying curious, staying curious. Absolutely. Yeah. And then like, really the last part of it is like, I don't know. It's like, it's figuring out, like, what are your like, opportunities like in the community? So like there's different.
Like there, again, like tied back to resources, like things like rainforest Alberto's and one resource that I kind of came across. Sorry, joining, like they're like different. They have like a lunch without lunch, like webinar type thing. so I like went to my, I sat in on that one. and it's like every Wednesday and it's just like people of like, like-mindedness, they're getting together to talk about like entrepreneurship and innovation.
And like, again, social innovation making a social impact is like kind of this theme for me. but through that, it's just like, what are the other opportunities? Or what are the other people that like are on a similar journey to yourself.
CG: What has kept you in the tech industry?
Yeah, I think for me, it's like, I care so much about like the end user and about people.
And I think like tech, especially in CS roles in tech, let me do that. So like, I do have like other experiences, like customer service or a little bit of hospitality type of background. but I think with, with tech, it's like, it's moving so fast and there's like endless opportunities in it. So it's like, especially like customer success, like, like organizations.
They’ll purchase a product, they're looking to solve a solution, but it's, what ways can we like support the customer, especially B2B, which is like really interesting. Like you're helping an organization, like make an impact and you're helping them implement something. You're helping them like, realize the value in something.
And I think that, like that specifically in tech is something that really interests me.
I think it's a lot of it is to do with like my own personal values and like, and aligning myself with companies that like I stand behind and that I like what they represent. And I like that they're like values driven. They know what their mission is. but I also have like, like a certain level where I can interact with people and like build relationships, and help, like help them make a difference if it's like, like always come back to it.
Being like the employee experience is like a huge thing for me.
It's like, it's like being in it and like being able to like have the conversation and bring the ideas and, and with like how fast, like the companies are, are like, like innovating and changing and everything as well. It's like, it's like finding those opportunities to like insert yourself in it. But like always being like customer success, we're always the advocate for the customer.
So there's always like, there's always opportunities to champion that, to like help further that conversation internally. So, I think it's, it makes it like less cold when there's always like there's a human behind what we're trying to achieve.
CG: How do you find a company with aligning values?
Yeah, it's sometimes a tough one. Like that's like not super easy. Like I think I've been fairly fortunate with. Like being able to like, identify, like what I value is sometimes it takes going through an experience that like is something that you don't value to realize what you do.
but I think it's like, it's like doing the research on the company. If they have a good careers page, if they have a social media, if they have LinkedIn, like even like connecting with someone at the company, like [00:09:00] sending them a LinkedIn invitation to chat. It's going for what you want and like having that like open conversation with them and just seeing if like, if it's in their culture to speak with you, then that says a lot about the company and stuff too.
And like the culture of like a specific team. yeah, it's that, it's also like seeing, like, if the company has, like, if they really truly have great values, sometimes they have like a, like a culture handbook or they have some kind of resource that's like, okay, this is the way you do things. And sometimes it's publicly posted like on their website.
So read through it, take the time to like understand it and like try to visualize yourself at the company in that role.
CG: What can mentors do for women in tech?
I think like mentorship, I think I want to say it almost like comes with like a little bit of maturity because like, even if I look at myself like a couple of years ago, I was like, Less than a seeking out like a mentor.
Than I was like, when I was like more mature in my role. So when I'm more mature, in my role in, again, like if the organization has a program or they have something where you're like, okay, I'm going to be this today. And like a year, or it can be this. Right? It's like sometimes like organizations struggled to have that piece in place.
And there's like so much of a need for it because. In my position. Like it wasn't really, I didn't really start seeking mentorship until I was looking to make a career path and my organization, I wasn't getting that information from them. And I was like, okay, I've done all of this. I've grown for five and a half years in this department, but what it, like, what does it look like for me?
And it's almost like, okay, like there are people like in my network that I think have almost become more mint. Like there's some that like, but again, like I've been in the tech industry, the same company for so long. So like the leaders I've had, like the owners of the company, Charlotte people, like I look up to, but I wouldn't really say they're really true mentors until I made the switch until I went somewhere else to then be like, okay, now I can lock.
Like now I can really lean on this person. of course there's like people like your parents that you look up to and like, they're like, okay, like my, my mom was like a go getter. So. You have like mentors like that, but professionally it's like, it was kind of tough.
It was kind of tough to find that, but like once I really kind of started being like, okay, like this is my year to like, be like, this is my professional development journey and this is where I want to go. And like just seeking out people that are in roles that I'm, I like, or that sort of thing was really when I started like building that.
And like, there's like so much like opportunity. Like you just have to figure out where to find it. It's like, you go back to like the rainforest group and it's like, okay. Like it was something, I was like, super like apprehensive. It'd be like, I don't know anybody here, but like, I know I'm interested in these topics.
There has to be people in the city or in Calgary or in Alberta or Canada that have a similar interest to me.
CG: Any advice for women in tech?
I would say like, what really helped for like, what was really helpful for me was like, identify like, okay, what am I like, what are my skills? Like, what am I like, what do I Excel in? And like, being like, okay, like I'm a person that likes to be involved in things. I'm a person who likes to collaborate and like going through that process, especially like, if you're trying to get into tech or pivoting into a different industry, really figuring out and like taking the time to like, reflect. Step back and be like, okay, like, this is what I like to do.
And like, where do I see myself in three or five years? Like, for me, it's less of like, I want this role. I want to be in this company as more of like, I want to be in this environment and feel fulfilled. So it's like, it's just, it's taking the time. And sometimes if we get so busy, like in our day to day, but like, if you can find like the five minutes attendance drivers to the mountains for a day to like, think about like, take time for yourself, especially as a woman in tech, like.
It was like, we get, like, she gets so bogged down, especially if you've been in a place for a while or a role for a while. It's like, how do you separate that? And like, start to like, go on a search, put your self on a path to finding like, what are the resources that are people that's when I connected with Chic Geek initially, it was like, this is how I'm feeling in my role. And like, this is like, just to get an outside perspective. Right? It’s like the biggest part, I think.
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